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<\/a>The four established two new scholarships for students who are participating in the preparatory summer BRIDGE<\/a> program. Deeply impressed with the gesture, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education & Outreach Marty Wood said, \u201cThese exceptional students are an example for all of us \u2013 alumni, faculty and students \u2013 about the ripple each of us can set in motion when we invest in each other.\u201d<\/p>\nRecent graduate Atinuke (Tina) Oyeniya (B.S. Civil Engineering \u201909) established the \u201cOyeniya Scholarship,\u201d which was presented this year to Yanique Shand, a freshman from New Haven. Yanique is deeply grateful for the support. \u201cThe impact this scholarship has on me personally is the motivation to not give up, no matter how hard the work load gets, because someone cared enough to present me this award as a minority woman who is trying hard to obtain an engineering degree.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition, Stephany Santos, Danica Chin, and Huiam Mubarak established the $2,000 \u201cBelieve Beyond Boundaries\u201d (Triple B) scholarship to assist \u201ca student who shows incredible passion for education and perseverance despite any and all obstacles that come their way. The BBB Scholarship is meant to support these endeavors so that nothing is impossible, but rather I’Mpossible.\u201d BRIDGE graduate Asa Powell was named the scholarship\u2019s first recipient. Stephany, Danica and Huiam have also vowed to mentor the scholarship recipients for the entirety of the recipient’s higher education career.<\/p>\n
Investment in a Fellow Student<\/strong><\/p>\n The Triple B Scholarship emerged from the three friends\u2019 recognition that 2010 BRIDGE participant Asa Powell, \u201can extraordinary student who exhibited passion, a thirst for knowledge, and sincerity,\u201d was experiencing financial difficulties. Learning that Asa\u2019s academic career hinged on finances, Stephany, Danica and Huiam felt compelled to act. \u201cWe created the Belief Beyond Boundaries scholarship with him in mind, but with the thought that it could easily apply to so many other students; students who don’t care about the obstacles in their way because their motivation and perseverance allow them to see past even the tallest challenge,\u201d Stephany recalled.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Reflecting on his summer BRIDGE experience, the student who inspired his peers, Asa Powell, said, \u201cI worked harder than I ever had before, but I didn\u2019t do it alone. My BRIDGE-mates and, more surprisingly, my tutor, suffered the nights of homework and studying alongside me\u2026My family is in a financial low currently, and after an entire summer of hard work, stress, studying, networking, learning, making friends, creating bonds, experiencing cultural diversity for the first time, and realizing what I wanted to do with my life, I was nearly unable to attend UConn.\u201d He said the expense of UConn has taken a toll on his cash-strapped family, but \u201cIt would not have been possible at all if these three wonderful people had not decided to invest in my future. They saw my hard work in BRIDGE and decided they were not going to let me fall through the cracks. I am indescribably grateful to my mentors, Danica, Steph, and Huiam, who are continually active in my life, school related and otherwise. As I continue my climb toward my degree, I plan to return the favor by investing in the next generation of BRIDGE students myself.\u201d<\/p>\n